But today, DRUDGE REPORT readers get the first look at the surprisingly emotional work.

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In a story titled THE AFTERLIFE, W. Bush recounts a recent day when the family feared their patriarch was about to pass away.

"In November 2012, Dad checked into Houston Methodist hospital with a
bad cough. When Laura and I went to visit a few days later, he was
wearing a brace around his abdomen and obviously suffering serious pain.
'How you feeling, Dad?' I asked. He smiled. 'It's not the cough that
carries you off; it's the coffin you go off in,' he quipped. In typical
fashion, he lifted our spirits.

His condition worsened in early December. The brutal, hacking cough
turned to pneumonia. I called him often. I wanted to hear his voice and
gauge his strength. At the end of every phone call, I said, 'I love
you.' He would always reply, 'I love you more.'

"Fearing the worst, our family surrounded Dad. My brother Neil sat for
hours at his bedside reading aloud to him. Jeb, Marvin, and Doro visited
with their families. Laura and I made another trip to the hospital in
December. This time we brought Barbara and Jenna, who was five months
pregnant. Before we went in, I told everyone not to cry. I did not want
Dad to sense our despair. As we entered the room, he could barely open
his eyes and his voice was weak.

"'Hi, George, how are you? And there's Laura. Hi, beautiful.' He lay
back contently as Barbara and Jenna rubbed his head. Then he reached out
and gently put his hand on Jenna's pregnant belly.

"'There's death,' he said, 'and there's new life.' We all left the room sobbing."

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President No. 43 tells the tale of Putin's 2007 visit to the elder Bush's compound in Maine.

"During my presidency, Dad and I didn’t talk much about policy. He
understood better than anyone that the President is surrounded by
experts with in-depth information about the key issues. If I had asked
for his advice on a policy matter, he would have said, 'Send your
briefers so that I know what I’m talking about.' He knew that I had
plenty of outside opinions. As the father of the President, he could
provide something different: the love and support I needed to handle the
pressure of the job.

"One area that interested Dad was my relations with foreign leaders.
Throughout his career, he had been a master of personal diplomacy — of
getting to know people and earning their trust. I had witnessed how
effective his approach had been. I held hundreds of face-to-face
meetings (and made many more phone calls) with my key counterparts
around the world. I invited fellow world leaders not only to the White
House but also to Camp David, our ranch in Crawford, and Walker’s Point.

"In early 2007, I called Dad and asked him if he would invite President
Vladimir Putin of Russia to Walker’s Point. I felt that it would be a
perfect place to discuss the missile defense systems that we were
planning to build in Poland and the Czech Republic.

"Dad was thrilled about the idea. 'Just let me know what you need, son,' he said.

"When Putin arrived on July 1, 2007, Dad met his plane at the airport in
New Hampshire and accompanied him on the helicopter ride to Walker’s
Point. Then he took both of us for a speedboat ride. Although initially
startled by the idea of an eighty-three-year-old former President
driving the boat at top speed, Putin loved the ride. (His interpreter
looked like he was about to fly out the back of the boat.) The next
morning, we had a long conversation about missile defenses, in which we
found some common ground. We then went fishing. Fittingly, Putin was the
only one who caught anything."

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In a chapter titled "DIPLOMACY," the son recounts an anecdote about Watergate:

"The final straw came on August 5, 1974. The Supreme Court had ruled
that the White House must turn over all the tapes to Leon Jaworski, the
new Watergate special prosecutor and a friend of Dad’s from Houston. The
tapes revealed that Nixon had spoken to one of his aides about
thwarting the FBI’s investigation into the Watergate break-in. That was
proof that he knew about the cover-up and that he had lied to the
country. The revelation shattered Dad’s trust in Nixon.

"The day after the smoking-gun tape became public, Nixon held a meeting
with his Cabinet and key political advisers. Dad attended the meeting
and witnessed a surreal scene in which the President spent the meeting
talking about the economy and other policy issues rather than
confronting the only question that really mattered. Later that day, Dad
gave Nixon’s Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig, a candid assessment. After
speaking to some of his old friends in Congress, he had learned that the
President would not have the votes to survive an impeachment
proceeding.

"Despite his deep disappointment, my father refused to condemn Nixon
publicly. While he might have benefited in the short run, Dad saw little
point in “piling on,” as he put it. He voiced his opinion privately in a
letter to the President on August 7. As far as I know, he is the only
party Chairman in American history who has ever written such a letter.

"'I now firmly feel that resignation is best for this country, best for
this President,' he wrote. 'I believe this view is held by most
Republican leaders across the country.' Writing with his characteristic
sympathy, Dad continued, 'This letter is made much more difficult
because of the gratitude I will always have for you. If you do leave
office, history will properly record your achievements with a lasting
respect.' The next day, President Nixon announced that he would resign."

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W discusses his father's influence on him throughout his own life, from
his childhood in Texas to his early campaign trips with his father, and
from his decision to go into politics to his own two-term Presidency.